NORTHAMPTON – For most people, zoning is a cure for insomnia, but a committee charged with taking a new look at the city’s zoning regulations is hoping for a big turnout at a public hearing Wednesday that could determine how Northampton gets built out in the future.

The Zoning Revision Committee has been working for the past year to reexamine the laws that determine how, where and what gets built in the city’s various zoning districts. Appointed by the Planning Board, the nine-member committee is charged with studying the zoning codes in light of Northampton’s Sustainability Plan, adapting the codes to the plan’s vision regarding population clusters, open space, transportation, the environment and other issues.

Wednesday night is the public’s best chance to hear and weigh in on the committee’s thoughts. The hearing begins at 7 p.m. at Northampton High School’s Little Theater. Chairman Joel S. Russell is hoping people will take the opportunity to speak out.

“Zoning is a set of rules that governs what can and can’t happen with land,” said Russell, who is also a zoning consultant for the city of Springfield. “Unless there’s a transformation in the rules of the game, the game keeps being played in the old way.”

Examples of zoning issues that have drawn crowds over the past few years include the Glendale Road landfill expansion, the Meadows plan and the development of a condominium complex off North Street. In almost every case, the public comment came from neighborhood people who would be immediately affected by the projects.

Broader issues, such as how King Street will be developed and whether to cluster housing in urban zones to relieve pressure on rural areas of the city, also need input from the general public, Russell said. He added that now is better than later.

“By the time people find out about a project, it’s too late and (their input) won’t make a difference,” he said.

The committee is also hoping that the self-interest that seems to bring out opponents of various plans at the last second will take a back seat to the public’s greater vision for the community.

“People want other people’s zoning to be really restrictive, but they want to do what they want on their own land,” Russell said.

The Zoning Revisions Committee is scheduled to complete its work and make its recommendations to the city by April 2011.